Victims of UK contaminated blood scandal speak out

This is a follow up to my previous postabout contaminated blood. Â Let’s hope someone in government is listening.

Patients whose lives were devastated after being treated with contaminated NHSblood have urged the government to consider their suffering over the last three decades – and offer an apology. They have expressed anger and frustration about the lack of recognition for their plight, and why they seek a much sought for apology. What they say about the lack of support from Ministers and MPs is quite shocking.

Glenn Wilkinson, (pic) from the Contaminated Blood Campaigngroup, has mild haemophilia and contracted Hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood during a routine dental operation at the age of 19. He was an engineer, but is now unable to work. He says:

“Ninety-six people died in the Hillsborough disaster, and over 2,000 died as a result of being given contaminated blood and blood products, which equates, in effect to over 20 Hillsborough disasters, and the death toll for those that have been infected with contaminated blood and blood products continues to rise.

“Over 5,000 UK citizens have been infected with deadly pathogens, including HIV, HCV, vCJD and many other pathogens as a result of receiving these contaminated NHS blood. Even though the death toll amongst those infected with contaminated blood and blood products is greater than any other peacetime disaster in the UK, we have never been given the benefit of a government inquiry, nor an apology, nor any compensation.”

“There was an independent report conducted by the late Lord Archer of Sandwell, which lasted almost 2 years and was completed in 2009. This report showed, amongst many other things, that the UK government knew that the blood products they were giving us at that time were infected with HIV and Hepatitis C, and also that the government failed to warn people about these pathogens before administering these blood products to them.Â The Archer Inquiry also found that human beings were used as â€œguinea pigsâ€, without their consent.

“Unfortunately, the Archer Inquiry was not authorised by the government (it was not a full Judicial Inquiry) and therefore did not have all the power of law which would have enabled it to compel individuals (including MPâ€™s and Ministers) involved at the time, to attend to give evidence.Â MPâ€™s and Ministers involved that could have helped were asked to attend, but refused, even though the rooms in which the evidence was being taken, was only across the road from Whitehall.Â The late Lord Morris, famously said at the time that â€œterminally ill people travelled to Westminster to give evidence from all over the country, and yet people in Whitehall were not prepared to cross the road.

“When the previous Health Minister, Andrew Lansley, announced a support package he claimed would end the anomalies between HIV and HCV victims, the real truth was that only 20% of Hepatitis C victims â€“ those in the so-called Stage 2 category who can prove a certain level of liver disease â€“ were awarded ongoing financial assistance in line with HIV victims.Â The remaining 80% of HCV victims, those in the so-called Stage 1 category, were excluded from this because the review panel ignored conclusive research proving that Hepatitis C also causes incapacitating disease unrelated to the liver.”

Owen Savill, a haemophiliac who was also given contaminated blood, says:

“Why, after 30 years of campaigning and banging on doors, do we still have to deal with the fall out of over 2,000 deaths, 3,000 more infected and all without any form of justice, public inquiry nor recompense? The DoH, specific doctors and healthcare professionals knowingly provided contaminated blood, all in the name of treatment to us â€˜bleedersâ€˜ as pharmaceutical companies made mass profits as always.

“We were injected, poisoned and maimed with their inferior blood supplies and the UK government approved it. Even I have been completely dumbfounded by some of the “lost” documents that have come to light regarding the contamination of blood. How with full knowledge, a certain Mr Kenneth Clarke MPpermitted and even encouraged the use of American contaminated blood to treat British haemophiliacs. (Kenneth Clarke was Health Minister during 1982-85).

“You will be told that the situation has been resolved and that a settlement package has been put together. But you actually need to be dying to be eligible and only about 3% of us are actually in that position right now. However, battling chronic and severe illness for 25 – 30 years can have very far reaching, severe, debilitating and job losingÂ consequences. And that is on top of already living with a disabling and chronic condition. Did you know that unless you have been affected by Hep C and/or HIV that haemophiliacs don’t qualify for free prescriptions despite being in almost constant need of painkillers and anti-arthritic drugs. Kind of says a lot about the way successive government view the haemophiliac population.

“An apology would be great, and like Hillsborough would simply mark the start of doing something to resolve the situation.”

Please view this video to hear haemophiliac Mark Ward talking about his life with contaminated blood. And please also read this page, which makes very sober reading, and is in memory of those who tragically lost their lives from contaminated blood.

It’s like a horror story. But daily there are thousands and thousands of blood transfusions and errors occur. I cant blame doctors and medical staff for that, because they have sacred mission to help people and they are humans…

You’re right Eric, it is like a horror story, and it remains a horror story for those that are infected and the families of those that have died. The important thing to remember is that this was no mistake. That might sound like conspiracy theory talk, but I can assure you it isn’t.

There was an Independent Inquiry into this which lasted almost 2 years, which was conducted by Lord Archer of Sandwell, which anyone can view online, http://www.archercbbp.com/ and within that report, it states very clearly that both Government and the medical profession knew that these blood products carried a danger of infection, with Hepatitis and HIV (see page 5, paragraph 2). When you add to that, the fact that although Government and the medical profession knew that these blood products were infected, but didn’t warn people, in my opinion, this amounts to nothing short of Manslaughter, and many would argue Murder.

If you take the time to read the document, you will also see that people were used as Human Guinea pigs, particularly those people who had not received the blood products before and were therefore known to be clean of any pathogens. These people in particular were targeted. This is not a conspiracy theory, this is fact and a fact that Government of all colours have wanted to brush under the carpet.

Great post Ellee and a very important issue. Back in the early 90s one of my clients was law firm Irwin Mitchell and I managed all of the media relations for the world’s first ‘mad cow disease’ court case. About 20 recipients of contaminated human growth hormone contracted CJD and had to take legal action to win compensation. It was a massive job and huge news story with international attention.